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Medically reviewed by Ravali Reddy Inja, M.D. | Review date: [Pending confirmation]
Loud snoring, waking up gasping, or feeling exhausted no matter how long you sleep can all point to sleep apnea. At PACT Sleep Medicine, part of PACT Pulmonology, your sleep apnea doctor tests, diagnoses, and treats adults and children from our offices in Orange and Guilford, Connecticut.
You don’t need a referral to schedule. From your first visit to your sleep study, CPAP setup, and follow-up, one team supports you throughout.
Request an AppointmentSleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which your breathing repeatedly stops or becomes very shallow while you sleep. Each pause can last 10 seconds or longer and may happen dozens of times an hour. These pauses lower your oxygen levels and pull you out of deep sleep, usually without you realizing it.
It’s common, and it often goes undiagnosed. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine estimates that about 30 million U.S. adults have obstructive sleep apnea, and most of them don’t know it.
Two main types of sleep apnea exist, and some people have a mix of both. Knowing which type you have shapes your treatment.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)
What happens
Throat muscles relax, and soft tissue blocks your airway, even though you keep trying to breathe.
Your brain does not send steady signals to the muscles that control breathing.
How common
The most common type by far.
Less common.
Snoring
Usually loud, with pauses, snorts, or gasps.
Often little or no snoring.
Common causes
Excess weight, airway anatomy, large tonsils, age, alcohol or sedatives.
Heart failure, stroke, opioid medications, high altitude.
AHI, or apnea-hypopnea index, is the average number of times per hour your breathing stops (apnea) or becomes shallow (hypopnea) during sleep. Your sleep study reports your AHI. Your sleep apnea doctor uses it, along with your oxygen levels and symptoms, to grade severity and choose the right treatment.
Severity
AHI in Adults
What It Means
Normal
Fewer than 5 events per hour
No sleep apnea
Mild
5 to 14 events per hour
Treatment depends on your symptoms and health
Moderate
15 to 29 events per hour
Treatment is recommended
Severe
30 or more events per hour
Treatment is strongly recommended
Children are scored differently. In kids, an AHI above 1 event per hour can be abnormal, which is why pediatric sleep studies should be read by a sleep specialist trained in children’s sleep.
Loud snoring that happens most nights, or that’s broken by silent pauses and snorts, can mean your airway is closing during sleep. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but snoring is the most common warning sign.
You spend 7 to 8 hours in bed and still wake up tired, nod off while reading or watching TV, or need caffeine to get through the afternoon.
Waking up with a headache, sore throat, or dry mouth can happen when you breathe through your mouth or your oxygen drops overnight.
Broken sleep affects memory, focus, mood, and patience. Many patients describe it as brain fog or feeling short-tempered.
If someone has seen you stop breathing, choke, or gasp in your sleep, it is time for an evaluation.
Waking up often to urinate
Restless, sweaty, or broken sleep
Waking with a racing or pounding heart
Trouble staying asleep, or insomnia
Heartburn or reflux at night
Irritability, low mood, or anxiety
Lower sex drive
Feeling drowsy while driving
High blood pressure that is hard to control
Sleep apnea in women may cause fatigue, insomnia, morning headaches, or low mood rather than obvious snoring. Risk increases during pregnancy and after menopause. PCOS and persistent symptoms despite treatment for insomnia or depression may also warrant a sleep evaluation.
Our sleep team works alongside PACT’s women’s health and endocrinology clinicians when hormones or other conditions are part of your care.
Pediatric sleep apnea often results from enlarged tonsils or adenoids and can affect behavior, learning, and growth.
PACT’s Dr. Ravali Reddy Inja is board-certified in pediatrics and trained in sleep medicine. Children typically need an in-lab sleep study rather than a home test. If enlarged tonsils or adenoids are the cause, we coordinate care with an ENT specialist.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway narrows during sleep. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain doesn’t properly signal the breathing muscles.
Common risk factors include:
Excess weight and older age
Menopause and certain hormonal conditions, including PCOS
Conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, and stroke
Family history or airway and jaw anatomy
Alcohol, sedatives, smoking, and opioid medications
Some risk factors can be managed, while others require medical evaluation.
Learn more from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Yes. Untreated sleep apnea increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, according to the NHLBI. Repeated drops in oxygen strain your heart and disrupt sleep. Treatment can reduce these risks.
Untreated sleep apnea can lead to:
Safety note: Avoid driving if you’re struggling to stay awake, and talk to your doctor about a sleep evaluation.
A sleep medicine doctor diagnoses and treats sleep apnea. Many sleep medicine physicians are also pulmonologists, who specialize in the lungs and breathing, which makes a pulmonologist a strong choice for sleep apnea care, especially if you also have asthma, COPD, or another lung condition. Your primary care doctor, an ENT, or a dentist may also play a role.
1
Your clinician reviews your sleep habits, symptoms, medications, and related conditions like high blood pressure or lung disease. You may complete a short screening questionnaire. If you have a bed partner, bring their observations, since they often notice what you cannot.
2
Based on your symptoms and health, we order the right test. Many adults with likely obstructive sleep apnea can use a home sleep apnea test. Children and adults with suspected central sleep apnea, heart failure, significant lung disease, or an unclear home test result usually need an in-lab sleep study.
3
Your sleep apnea doctor walks you through your AHI, oxygen levels, and sleep patterns, explains whether you have sleep apnea and which type, and answers your questions in plain language.
4
Your plan is based on your results, symptoms, anatomy, and preferences, not a one-size-fits-all approach. We schedule follow-up to make sure treatment is working.
01
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
A CPAP machine uses a mask to deliver steady airflow and keep your airway open during sleep. It is a first-line treatment for most adults with sleep apnea. We help you find a comfortable mask, review machine data, and adjust settings as needed.
02
A custom mouthguard-like device moves your lower jaw forward to keep your airway open. It can help people with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea or those who cannot tolerate CPAP. A follow-up sleep test confirms whether it is working.
03
Weight loss can reduce sleep apnea severity in some people. In December 2024, the FDA approved tirzepatide (Zepbound) for adults with obesity and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
04
If your sleep apnea is worse on your back, positional devices can help you sleep on your side. This approach works best for mild, position-dependent sleep apnea.
05
Limiting alcohol and sedatives near bedtime, quitting smoking, treating nasal congestion, and maintaining a regular sleep schedule can support treatment.
06
If other treatments aren’t effective, we can refer you to specialists. Options include hypoglossal nerve stimulation, which uses an implanted device to help keep your airway open, and surgeries to address airway obstructions or jaw structure.
Sleep apnea care at PACT happens in a pulmonology practice, so one team treats your breathing, lungs, and sleep together.
We build your plan around your sleep study, symptoms, anatomy, and preferences, with options beyond CPAP when you need them.
We treat snoring, fatigue, and disrupted sleep in adults and children, with a sleep medicine physician trained in pediatric sleep.
Testing, results, treatment, and follow-up happen in one place, and you always know what comes next.
See a sleep apnea doctor in Orange or Guilford, with no referral needed to schedule.
Looking for sleep apnea treatment near you? PACT sees patients at two Connecticut offices and serves families across New Haven County and the shoreline, including New Haven, Milford, Branford, and Madison.
Sleep Doctor Orange CT
Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sleep Doctor Guilford CT
Monday through Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Better sleep starts with answers. Connect with a PACT sleep apnea doctor to talk through your symptoms, get the right sleep test, and start a treatment plan that fits your life. No referral needed.
CPAP therapy is the most common and most effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. A CPAP machine sends gentle, steady air pressure through a mask to keep your airway open while you sleep. Most patients notice better sleep and more daytime energy once they use it consistently.
Yes, in most cases. A sleep study confirms sleep apnea, shows whether it is obstructive or central, and measures its severity before treatment starts. Many adults can complete a home sleep apnea test in their own bed. Children and people with certain heart, lung, or neurologic conditions usually need an in-lab sleep study.
CPAP can take a few weeks to get used to, but most people adjust with the right support. Comfort usually comes down to mask fit, pressure settings, and humidity.
At PACT, your clinician reviews your machine data at follow-up visits and adjusts your setup, so problems like mask leaks, dry mouth, or pressure discomfort get solved instead of ending your treatment.
Yes. Depending on your sleep apnea type and severity, alternatives include a custom oral appliance made by a dentist trained in dental sleep medicine, positional therapy, weight-related treatment, and, for select adults, hypoglossal nerve stimulation or airway surgery. Your sleep apnea doctor explains which options fit your sleep study results, your anatomy, and your preferences.
Untreated sleep apnea can raise your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, atrial fibrillation, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and depression. It can also cause ongoing daytime sleepiness, which increases the risk of drowsy-driving crashes and workplace accidents. Diagnosis and consistent treatment can lower these risks and help you feel more rested and alert.
Most insurance plans cover sleep apnea testing and treatment when it is medically necessary, but coverage for sleep studies, CPAP equipment, and supplies varies by plan. Some plans require prior authorization or proof that you use CPAP regularly. Check with your insurer and review PACT’s insurance information page, and our team can help you understand next steps.
A sleep medicine physician diagnoses and treats sleep apnea. Many sleep doctors are also pulmonologists, who specialize in breathing and the lungs, so a pulmonologist is a natural choice, especially if you also have asthma or COPD.
At PACT, clinicians trained in sleep and lung medicine provide sleep apnea care in our pulmonology practice.
Yes. Obstructive sleep apnea affects an estimated 1% to 5% of children, most often between ages 2 and 8, and is usually caused by enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Signs include snoring, mouth breathing, restless sleep, bedwetting, and behavior or attention problems.
Stop guessing why you are tired. Schedule a sleep evaluation at PACT and get testing, treatment, and follow-up in one place.
PACT, LLC & PACT MSO, LLC
322 East Main Street, Suite 1B
Branford, CT 06405